Charity knitters are better by scarf
ACHARITY has received a vital donation of 100 scarves to provide some warm relief to the needy during this cold snap.
The donation to Accrington’s Maundy Relief was handed over by Jill Partington, who works at local training provider North Lancs Training Group (NLTG).
After joining the ‘brilliant’ Lockdown 3 campaign knitting scarves for the homeless, NLTG apprenticeship manager Jill decided to direct some of its support work via #Amazing Accrington.
Started by Anne Carter, the Cumbria Way Homeless Scarf Challenge has set itself the objective of knitting the quantity of scarves that would stretch the entire length of the Cumbria Way, a distance of about 75 miles.
During the day, Jill, 61, looks after apprentices in the field of Business Administration, IT, and Digital Marketing, helping young people find a secure career path.
She dedicates much of what remaining spare time she has to helping other parts of the community, including projects like this.
Jill, who lives in Lytham St Annes, delivered 100 scarves, knitted and crocheted by the volunteers in the group, to Maundy Relief, the recent winners of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Jill, who is now working on producing blankets to donate, knitted two of the scarves herself and the rest were sent to her after she put out an appeal to fellow group members.
She said: “It’s actually been really good for the people doing it as well. We have had people sitting at home and not able to go out and it’s given those people who don’t work a purpose as well. Ladies have been sending me parcels every day!”
The donation could not be better timed with January the coldest in 10 years.
Lucy Hardwick, manager of Maundy Relief, said: “On behalf of all those in Accrington - be they homeless or just struggling with the cold during this pandemic - I’d like to say a massive thanks to Jill and everyone from the Cumbria Way Homeless Scarf Challenge.
“This is a brilliant project which will have an immediate positive effect on our community, especially now during this cold spell.” The charity organisers calculate that about 73,000 scarves are required to complete the challenge.
For more information about the project, including how to get involved, email endmoorcommunitycrafters@gmail.com or visit thei group’s Facebook page.
CHARITY walkers will have beloved family members in their thoughts when they brave an endurance challenge.
Olivia Brown and her uncle Peter Myerscough, from Oswaldtwistle, and Olivia’s school friend, Keegan Eastham, from Clayton-le-Moors, will tackle the 24-hour Lake District 100km Ultra Challenge later this year in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society.
All three have seen close family members claimed by the debilitating condition, including 52-year-old Peter’s father - Olivia’s grandfather - Bernard who passed away on January 31, and Keegan’s nana, Audrey McKee, who died last July.
Peter’s aunts Mavis Walsh and Patricia Hall also died with the illness in 2014 and 2018 respectively.
Olivia, 23, said she had previously walked Hadrian’s Wall with her uncle and another friend in 2018, and this is a fitting challenge in her grandad’s memory.
She said: “We decided to do it in 24 hours - and I know that’s what my grandad would have wanted. He loved walking. He had a big passion and used to walk miles a day.
“It’s going to be a big challenge and I’m excited. I think we are going to start at 8am. You just follow the route, and it’s at your own pace. Due to the [Covid] restrictions if we are unable to do the walk we will rearrange, but hopefully it runs this year in June.”
Olivia, who works as a student nurse, said her grandad, a resident at Springhill Care Home, had tested positive for Covid-19 before his death, but was suffering from quite advanced dementia.
“I hadn’t seen my grandad since February 2020, there was no visiting and they are trying to protect the residents,” she said.
“In hospital I managed to get a visit to go and see him. The day he passed we were allowed family in. It was heartbreaking as it was a full year without him. You need your family and you should have your family there. I know it was to protect him, but he ended up getting Covid anyway.
“There’s a lot of people I know who have either got dementia or Alzheimer’s.
“When you see quite a lot of people you say ‘is it going to get all of us?’ and obviously there’s no cure for it. It’s close to our families and it would just be nice to eventually find a cure. It’s not a nice illness, it’s a long illness.”
Currently doing her second hospital placement, Olivia says the current pandemic has only served to strengthen her commitment to the profession.
“It’s challenging for everybody,” she said.
“The nurses and doctors are doing an amazing job. Definitely it’s made me want to do what I’m doing even more. I’ve got a passion for nursing and it’s made me love what I do.”
In a message on their fundraising page Olivia and Peter posted: “Sunday, January 31, 2021 we lost our beloved dad/grandad, Bernard Myerscough. He fought dementia for many years and fought every illness that was thrown at him.
“He showed so much strength and bravery and we will be forever proud of him. Unfortunately at the beginning of January 2021, our dad/grandad caught Covid-19 and fought it till the very end, after developing pneumonia. He was an inspiration to everyone, the strongest person on this earth and someone we will never forget. We will forever miss him and he will always be with us.”
A message on behalf of social worker Keegan, 23, read: “Our devoted, kind, caring and funny nana lost her battle with Alzheimer’s in July 2020.
“She is dearly missed by everyone who knew and loved her every day.”
The donation page has already raised in excess of £1,000.
Visit gofundme.com and search for ‘Bernard’s and Pat’s wish’.
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